South Korean marathon coach regains licence after athlete interaction controversy
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
This interaction between coach Kim Wan-ki (left) and runner Lee Su-min at the 2025 Incheon International Marathon in November attracted public criticism.
PHOTO: KBS
SEOUL – A South Korean marathon coach under fire for a televised interaction with an athlete has had his certification reinstated after a provincial sports body overturned an earlier disciplinary decision.
According to local media on Feb 6, the Gangwon State Sports Council recently overturned a decision by the Samcheok Sports Council to suspend former city marathon coach Kim Wan-ki’s qualification for 18 months on charges of dereliction of duty, abuse and workplace harassment.
The reversal came after Kim filed an appeal with the provincial-level body, which instead issued a reprimand.
The state council said the city committee’s written notice demanding Kim’s appearance failed to specify the concrete grounds for punishment. This made it difficult for him to defend himself, as it did not clearly state when and where the action in question occurred, or under what circumstances.
While acknowledging that Kim had made some inappropriate remarks in the past, the council said the athletes’ claim that he failed to conduct a pre-race course inspection did not constitute dereliction of duty. It also cited his long record of coaching achievements.
The controversial physical interaction that occurred on Nov 23 was not listed as an official reason for punishment in either disciplinary decision, despite public criticism.
The incident involved Kim approaching a female runner in her 30s and covering her with a towel after she finished the Incheon International Marathon. Footage showing the runner grimacing in pain as Kim held her was broadcast, prompting allegations of sexual harassment.
However, the runner later stated that she had never claimed or concluded that the incident constituted sexual harassment.
“The issue is not sexual intent, but the strong and unexpected physical contact immediately after finishing, which caused severe pain,” she said.
Kim also argued that he was trying to prevent the athlete from falling and hurting herself.
Following the controversy, the runner and other members of Samcheok’s running team submitted a petition to the city sports council, raising concerns about Kim’s training methods, communication style and overall preparation for competitions.
Kim chose not to renew his contract with the city after the incident and stepped down from his coaching post at the end of 2025. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
